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Vacation... Long Version: Chapter Twelve

Our journey was coming to an end…we were leaving
back home in a day. Today, we had something interesting on our agendas…watching
a Broadway play, and not just any play…we were watching a play starring Orlando
Bloom! Yes, you guessed it! It’s Romeo and Juliet. And the only reason we were
watching it, is because it stars Orlando Bloom. We had already purchased our
tickets online a few days go, and we were all set.

We decided to leave to Manhattan early this
morning. So after getting ready, we followed our usual Manhattan routine…we
went to South Amboy train station, bought our tickets and found out we didn't
miss our train by a minute for a change, then went down to Dunkin Donuts for
breakfast.

After a delicious cream cheese bagel, with
orange juice and a glazed donut; we were on board the train and on our way to
NYC for one last time.

The play didn't start until 2pm, so we had
around 4 hours to walk around Manhattan and enjoy the sights. We walked slowly,
taking different streets and avenues, and going into souvenir shops to get some
souvenirs.

I still had a lot of things I wanted to see in
Manhattan, but didn't really have much time to do so. So we opted for one place
I really wanted to see…Grand Central Terminal. I've been to Manhattan before,
but never had the time to see this station. So we walked up to 42nd
street and Park Avenue, and saw the beautiful building of the terminal. We went
in, and it was amazing! It was huge, and the architecture was beautiful! We
took some pictures inside the terminal and by the time we were done it was
almost 12:30pm. I wish we had more time to walk around and have a bite to eat
there…maybe next time.

We decided to walk to Richard Rogers Theater
where the play was showing. It was almost half an hour walk up to 46th and 7th avenue, so we walked
slowly, enjoying the magnificent buildings of Manhattan. We
arrived at the theater, and were informed that the doors open at 1:30 and that
we could wait outside. So N & I conveniently sat on the steps of the
theater, right next to the stage door…hoping to catch Orlando Bloom before the
show. The theater was located opposite
the Church of Scientology…so I was looking more at the door of that building
than the stage door…who knows, maybe I’ll get the chance to see another
celebrity walking out of that door (hint: Tom Cruise…Lol)

There were a few people waiting by the stage
door as well, and one person N & I nicknamed ‘Crazy Fan Girl’. She was
eagerly waiting by the stage door, looking like she was about to cry. I’m
pretty sure she was a tourist, who came all the way from Asia just to see
Orlando Bloom. She was waiting and waiting, and looking at the door, N and I
were just observing her…and it was so funny.

Apparently, Orlando was already inside getting
ready. So when the doors opened, N and I went up to our seats. We were looking
around the theater, when we spotted Crazy Fan Girl sitting in the first row, so
close to the stage. It was so funny! N and I thought she was going to jump on
the stage when Orlando Bloom came on.

The usher who showed us our seats was funny.
Before the play started she told everyone ‘Please turn off your phones, or put
them on silent. You may LOL but you cannot text your BFF; or else you will have
to deal with a BUWAAA – a big usher with an angry attitude’. That made everyone
laugh….or LOL.

So the play started and when Orlando Bloom came
on, my eyes were glued on him! And when in a scene he came on shirtless, I almost
melted in my seat…how many people get to see Orlando Bloom shirtless right
infront of them…that was the highlight of my whole vacation!

So after the show, we exited the theater, and
saw a bunch of people standing by the stage door. We decided to stand in line,
hoping this time we will see Orlando Bloom. When the stage door opened,
everyone got their cameras ready, but it wasn't Orlando Bloom. It was another
cast member, he looked at us as said ‘Well, you all look excited’ and left. I
felt bad for him, everyone was waiting for Orlando Bloom…although
he was really cute and good looking!

Anyway, Orlando came out a few minutes later,
signing autographs...I took around 80 pictures of him and finally got his
autograph :)

I gave N my ticket so that Orlando Bloom will
sign it...The ticket (it was an e-ticket, so basically an A4 sized paper) was
the perfect place for his autograph; it had all the details of the show (the
location, the date, the seat, the play...etc). After Orlando went backstage
again, we left the area and walked through Manhattan in a daze...we couldn't
believe we actually met Orlando Bloom...it felt like we were in a dream...but
we had the pictures to prove it.

We had plans that evening in
New Jersey, so we decided to head back to Penn Station to take the train back
to NJ. The entire walk to Penn Station, I was telling N how I am so happy to
have Orlando Bloom's autograph on the ticket because it has all the information
about this wonderful day... We couldn't believe we just met Orlando Bloom…it
was like a dream!

We arrived to the station, and we were starving.
We looked at the time and had only 15 minutes before the train arrived. So we
went to a pizza place…a REALLY good pizza place at the station and each took a
slice with a drink to go, and ran to the train. For once, we didn't miss the
train that day.

On the train, I was looking
through a bag of souvenirs I got from NYC, and came across the ticket to the
play...it was unsigned. But I was so sure I got Orlando Bloom's autograph...so
where was it?

I turned to N, and this is the
conversation that took place:

Me: Oh my God! I think I
accidentally gave Orlando Bloom your ticket to sign it instead of my ticket.

N: It's okay...keep it.

Me: then take my ticket as a
souvenir from the play

N: it's okay...wait a
minute...my ticket is with me...

Me: then what did he sign??

At that moment, I wished there
was a camera that captured my facial expression as the realization of what he
signed actually hit me...

Me: Oh my God!!!

N: what??

Me: he signed the specifications paper of the
speaker my brother wanted

My brother wanted me to get
him some sort of a speaker, and printed out the information on a paper and I
took it with me to NYC. I folded it and placed it in my bag. In my haste to get
Orlando Bloom's autograph, I accidentally gave him the paper...the back page of
the technical specs of the speaker, thinking it was the ticket...and he signed
it....

You can imagine us laughing so
hard the entire way back to South Amboy, NJ on the train...

Fifty minutes later, we were back at South Amboy
station. It was a nice afternoon, so we decided to walk to G’s house. And the
entire way N and I couldn't stop laughing at how Orlando Bloom signed the technical specifications page of a speaker.

When we arrived, we told G this and she cracked
up laughing…yep, that was the joke of the century. I told everyone I know this
story, and everyone was laughing…

After resting for a few minutes, N, G and I went
shopping. We had a few things on my list we needed to get. So we went to Menlo
Park mall and spent some time there, and ticking stuff off our list. Then, we
continued our journey to Woodbridge mall, where we stayed until the mall
literally closed and they started turning off the lights in the stores.

N and I still had one thing on our list… we were
craving a cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. So G, N and I went back to
Menlo Park mall to have that cheesecake.

We were sad our journey was ending, we still had
half a day left, as we had to be at JFK airport at 7pm the following day. And
we still had some shopping to do the next day…including buying a suitcase for
all the new clothes and stuff I bought.

So we said goodbye to the mall and went back to
G’s house to start packing.

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